


Foodie

by Cupped_Socks



Series: Pheromone Spell [13]
Category: Original Work, Pheromone Spell
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Cute Kids, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Omega Verse, Omegaverse, Other, Sickfic, SniffleFic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupped_Socks/pseuds/Cupped_Socks
Summary: This visit to the park has been a long time coming for the Schoenfeld household, but one of the pups, Oliver, makes it quite clear that he is in no shape to follow his brothers. And so, Zach stays home to take care of his sick boy while Morgan takes the kids out for some much needed exercise.
Series: Pheromone Spell [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1305617
Kudos: 2





	Foodie

“Hey! Guys! Wesley! Leave your brother—Flynn! Your coat! Put your coat on!”

Zachary’s hollered commands were completely ignored as his trolley of pups rushed past him in their Spring jackets and water boots. He yelled for them to settle down, to stop fighting, and to dress appropriately for the still-bitter cold that clung to the air outside, going as far as to tempt his  _ Alpha’s voice _ , but it only seemed to excite them further. And before he could say anything more, they were up and out the door. Morgan, their mother, followed soon after with Milo by his side. Zach leaned forward for Milo who pressed his little nose against his cheek.

“Be good,” he said, his voice considerably softer. The boy nodded. “And make sure your brothers are good too.” With that, Milo scampered off to the car, joining his brothers.

Just as their pup had, Morgan nuzzled against Zach’s cheek. Their faces brushed as they both came to each other’s neck, digging deep into the crook, where they lingered a few moments for an intimate embrace. Breathing slow. Breathing deep. Inhaling each other’s scent with an appreciative hum from Zach, and a soft purr from Morgan. Zach laced his arms around the low of his Omega’s back, however, before they broke away.

“Are you going to be okay?” Morgan asked him. His usually sweet Omega’s scent was tinged with the bitterness of worry.

“It’s just one of them.” Zach was more than accustomed to his little pack. They had decided, shortly after Milo’s birth, that Morgan would return to work at the hospital and, after a slight change of heart, Zach would retire and take to caring and raising his pup. He supposed his Omega simply worried that Zach would be looking after one very sick Oliver, rather than his usual handful of happy-go-lucky boys. Nevertheless, he was confident he could manage a couple of hours on his own.

“More importantly, are  _ you _ going to be okay along with the four of them?”

Morgan smiled and scoffed. “I’ll manage. Besides, I have Milo with me.”

The pup in question was returning from the car with a rather annoyed look on his face. He reeked of irritation, and his little face was twisted to show it plainly. His little nose scrunched up, eyebrows furrowing deeply, with the corners of his lips turned downwards.

_ Speaking of the devil,  _ Zach thought.  _ And it starts… _

“Mom,” Milo started with a grave urgency to his voice, “Wesley won’t put his seatbelt on… And Flynn’s fighting with Elijah again. And he won’t get out of my spot either!”

“Wha—Urg…” Morgan sighed. The boy took him by the hand, pulling him along. Zach tried to give him a most sympathetic look, along with a meek smile that he hoped would encourage the Omega to hang in there, but he couldn’t hide the mild amusement that shone in his eyes. It was obvious Morgan had seen it by the brevity of the last kiss they exchanged before the Omega let himself be dragged off to his pack of yipping and yapping pups. He turned, however, when he was halfway to the car.

“Call me if his fever gets worse!” Morgan said with the corresponding hand gesture.

Zach waved him off, nodding, and watched as the car pulled out of the driveway, his rambunctious pups in tow. They were already causing such a racket, he could see it. Well, a visit to the park would offer them plenty of room to run and scream, and spend some of the overwhelming energy that made them so eager to act out.

Morgan drove off, the car turned the corner, disappearing from the Alpha’s field of vision. He was alone with Oliver now. The house felt exceptionally big and eerily quiet. Usually, Zach would be neck-deep in his troubles with the quads as one would fight the other, or climb the shelves of the walk-in pantry to reach the cookies, sending canisters and all sorts of containers, boxes, and bags falling to the ground. He would preferably start on the laundry—with five very energetic boys at home, laundry was a daily task for the Schoenfeld household—but he would have to make sure, first and foremost, that he didn’t have a sneaky pup hiding from his brothers in the washer or dryer.

Against the heavy silence of the house, Oliver’s footsteps echoed like thunder. The boy stomped out of his room, and rushed straight for the bathroom. Zach sighed, the sound of racing little feet a terrible premonition.

_ I hope he made it to the toilet, _ the Alpha thought, his stomach sensitive with dread.

Zach climbed the stairs, heading first for the boy’s bedroom. He was immediately hit with a diseased stench upon opening the door, but he pushed through it.  _ He had to know. _ The bedsheets were tossed, messy, with large, darkened blotches on the solid purple.

Oliver was feverish, and while Morgan seemed confident that it would pass with basic care, he was still sweating up a storm. Zach would change the sheets before putting the boy back to bed to rest a while longer. That is, if his boy could find it in himself to sleep away his fever.

What came next, though, was the unmistakable sound of vomiting.

A flutter rocked the Alpha at the core, his chest clenching around his heart, and his breakfast suddenly weighing like a ton of rocks at the bottom of his stomach. The gruesome noises, the splattering of half-chunks-half-liquid against porcelain and water, sounded throughout the house. Zach’s guts twisted at the idea of investigating further.

_ He had to. As an Alpha, it was his duty to make sure his pups were safe. Safe and healthy. _

He stood in front of the bathroom door, hesitating as the boy puked whatever little food he had managed to eat this morning. A sense of guilt came over Zach; Oliver had clearly been reticent about eating that morning, but he had forced the boy to eat ‘a little bit more.’ In a way, wasn’t it his fault that his pup was so ill as to hurl the content of his stomach? He gave the door a soft knock. Oliver didn’t answer him, though, and so he carefully pried the door open.

“Are you okay, buddy?”

“No!” Oliver answered dryly, his voice hoarse.

The pup was curled up in the corner by the toilet and the tub, ashamed and trembling. He looked as pitiful as a wet dog with the cold sweat that clung to his forehead, and those tired little eyes that looked at him so scornfully. It tugged at the Alpha’s most sensitive heartstrings.

Zach clicked his tongue in dismay for the boy’s affliction as he sat on the bathtub’s edge, next to the boy. Oliver turned his head away from him when Zach placed a hand on his head. It was quickly swatted by an infinitely smaller hand. His bottom lip was pushed out in a sulk, the poor boy obviously upset. The Alpha said nothing concerning his pup’s slap, merely dismissed it as though it hadn’t happened at all.

“You’re sick, bud—”

Oliver cut him off. “Go away…”

Zach was slightly taken aback by his pup’s uncouth demand, but he held his tongue still. He stood and fetched a cloth, wetting it with some lukewarm water, before returning to the boy. Oliver shook his head when the Alpha tried to wipe his mouth with the rag, giving a half-hearted attempt to fight his father’s attentive care. Zach then had his pup blow his nose. By then, Oliver had settled and he willingly complied with his father’s instructions to rinse his mouth.

All of this, only to have to start all over again as the boy made another run for the toilet bowl.

Zach waited for it to pass, sitting on the edge of the tub next to his boy. He laid a comforting hand over the boy’s downturned head, softly running his fingers through the short auburn strands. The hair at the nape of Oliver’s neck was soaked with sweat, and his skin felt almost cold in comparison to his face, which was burning up.

“Good thing we didn’t send you off to the park, huh?” Zach noted.

Oliver spat into the bowl, sparing his father a sharp glare that quickly vanished as another nauseous wave came over him. The boy was understandably disappointed, perhaps even a little bit envious of his brothers. This outing at the park had been a long time coming.  _ Such a shame… _

Oliver finally stood up, his footing slightly unsteady as he did so, and propped himself up against his father’s chest, into his arms. He buried his head into the crook of the Alpha’s neck and wrapped his small arms around those broad shoulders.

The feel of his feverish pup shuddering against him truly broke his heart.

“Are you still feeling like you’re gonna be sick?” Zach asked.

Oliver shook his head.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

Oliver nodded.

Uncertainty and uneasiness still claimed the pup’s scent, but Zach stood up, regardless, with the boy in his arms. He was careful not to jostle the little body he carried down the stairs, or to move too quickly, or turn a corner too sharply. He had first considered dropping the sick pup back into his bed, but he quickly decided against it, and made his way down to the kitchen instead.

Oliver clung to him when he reached into the fridge, and idly swung his legs when the Alpha reached into the cupboards. He was seated on a stool, at the kitchen’s island, and a cup of apple juice was poured for him.

“Mommy says juice will upset my tummy,” the boy intoned.

“Mom’s not here, though, and I say a little bit is fine,” Zach said.

“But what if I’m sick again?”

Zach initially frowned as both of his hands came to rest palms flat onto the counter’s surface. His shoulders were stiff only until he noticed a decidedly submissive look over the boy’s face. Oliver averted his eyes and concealed his hands within his lap. The Alpha had to wonder then.  _ Was he really about to scold his pup? _ Where was all of this mistrust coming from, though? Since when had his pups begun fighting him? His little pack of Omega pups had always been so willing to listen to him, obey him.

He saw a lot of Morgan in the boy’s behaviour, and it softened him. Hardly six years old and they were already eager to argue with him. His boys were growing quickly, but he wasn’t so sure he was ready for that just yet.

“You’ll be sick again whether you drink some juice or not, buddy.” Zach tried to level his tone, to lower his voice into a soft whisper. He sat beside the pup, searching his little face for some eye contact. The Alpha smiled. “It’ll get the taste out of your mouth, though, and it’s just a little bit.”

Oliver did glance at him, but he shrugged his shoulders. His lips were closed tight, forming a straight line. He was unsure.

Zach sighed. After all, he didn’t want to feel the same guilt he’d felt upon forcing the boy to eat. “You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to, Oli. Do you want some water instead? Or milk?”

The pup shook his head and kept his eyes low. “Can you make me food?” he asked, much to his father’s surprise.

“Are you sure?” Zach asked, confused.

“Yeah,” Oliver nodded, “Can you make me soup?”

Zach had to remind himself that, unlike his brothers, the pup had hardly eaten during breakfast, and he’d recently spewed the contents of his stomach as well. While it all made sense now, the Alpha couldn’t let his boy go the rest of the day on an empty stomach.

“Pea soup or chicken noodle soup?” Zach asked with a certain hunch about the answer.

“Pea soup!” Oliver answered with an expectant little smile.

_ Just the answer I was expecting, _ the Alpha thought amusedly. He squeezed the back of his boy’s neck before rising from the stool, and going about the kitchen to prepare Oliver’s request. He feigned ignorance, and kept his eyes on the task at hand, but he did catch, from the corner of his eye, his boy sipping away at the cup of juice. He said nothing and pretended not to see the boy as he engaged in his playful antics—as of late, the lot of them had decided they would only drink like dogs, lapping into their cups, and sucking the air in until the rim stuck to their faces in an airtight seal. He had cleaned up many messes since the beginning of these chaotic behaviours, and he did scold his little pack of pups when he saw them, but he decided to let it slide for today.

As expected, Oliver barely ate any of the soup he had requested. His stomach was still too fragile to take any more than a handful of spoonfuls. While the waste certainly didn’t please the Alpha, he said nothing. Instead, he took the bowl when Oliver claimed to be done, and tidied the kitchen, wiping down the counters, and washing the dishes. They then relocated to the living room, with a small trash bin closeby for precaution.

The buzz of a gameshow lit up the screen when Zach turned on the television. They were both comfortably seated on the couch while he flipped through the channels, stopping when he finally came across a cartoon he thought the boy might enjoy. They watched that for a little bit, but Oliver eventually spoke out against the show they watched.

“Can we watch something else?” the pup asked.

Zach hummed agreeably as he flipped through the channels. “What do you wanna watch?”

Oliver bounced his legs as he thought on the answer. None of the channels the Alpha switched to seemed to appeal to the pup. Finally, he said, “A cooking channel?”

“A cooking channel?”

The boy nodded happily, almost proud of his father’s surprise. Zach was, admittedly, a little incredulous to hear one of his pups demand they watch the cooking channel. He enjoyed quite a few of them himself as he often relied on them whenever he planned the lunches and meals he would prepare for his family. It was always nice to learn a new recipe, something healthy that would stimulate the pups’ taste buds, and provide him with a sense of Alpha pride. Indeed, there was plenty of that to go around when Morgan praised the food he made for them.

He had to be sure his ears didn’t fail him. “Out of everything we could watch together, you wanna watch a cooking show?”

Oliver unashamedly nodded.

“No movies. No cartoons. No animal show. No Bill Nye.” Each time, his pup would shake his head, his smile growing a tad larger. Zach laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s what you wanna watch, then… You sure?”

“I only like cooking shows, daddy!” Oliver said cheerfully. “I don’t like nothing else!”

An obvious exaggeration, of course, but one that made the Alpha laugh nonetheless. He simply had to concede to his boy’s wishes and he immediately composed the number to his favourite cooking channel. Oliver would sometimes comment on what he saw, and Zach would add his own grain of salt. Some dishes they saw he promised to try at a later time. And then, when his boy’s spirits seemed somewhat uplifted, they ventured into the experimental territory that was sushi making. None of his pups had ever been granted the chance to try such a delicacy, and yet Oliver unknowingly hummed in unison with him. Perhaps he would take a day some upcoming weekend, some time soon, to make some sushi with his pack of boys.

The show was honestly soothing, and the longer they watched, the heavier his boy’s eyelids appeared to be. When his pup shuffled down to lay his head in his lap, Zach almost cooed.  _ Sick little pup,  _ he thought. He let his fingers brush the boy’s hair away from his forehead—he still felt rather warm—and he let a low croon resonate from deep in his chest.

“Close your eyes if you're tired,” he whispered almost temptingly enough that the boy complied. But Oliver fought this slumbering spell that tried to take him. Zach knew just how to fix this.

The Alpha boasted a large frame that made it hard for him to cuddle with Morgan whenever the couple laid on the couch, but his pups were thankfully quite small still. He could wrap his arm around the little form and press it tight to his chest. He snuggled the pup in a safe embrace, with a heavy arm, where his boy wouldn’t run the risk of falling off, while also permitting him a quick and easy escape if he needed to make a run to the bathroom—or the bucket.

His pups fit perfectly in his arms, and for that, Zach was immensely grateful.

Oliver was quick to succumb, while Zach lingered a bit still. Eventually, though, even he fell prey to the rhythmic sound of knives sharply striking the cutting board in rapid succession, black pepper being cracked, and of sizzling meats and boiling water. They both drifted off to be found later that same day by Morgan.

###  *** ~ * ~ * ~ ***

Upon finding the Alpha and their sick pup huddled together on the couch in front of the television, Morgan had immediately ushered the rest of their little pack out of the living room. They were properly exhausted from their outing that had lasted slightly longer than they had planned. The Omega was happy to see that they weren’t late to dinner, though.

Morgan considered waking them up, but he decided against it after pressing his lips to the boy’s forehead. He was delighted to see that his pup’s fever had considerably lessened. He covered them in a thin blanket, carefully tucking the edges underneath the boy and his father.

A rise of playful mischief came over the Omega as he covered his mate’s feet. Zachary wasn’t one to show off his ticklish nature, and he was certainly not the type to show any sort of weakness when it came to anything related to ticklish. But he was vulnerable here, and Morgan knew more than Zach would like him to.

All it took was for him to drag the tip of his finger, his nail, along the sole of the Alpha’s foot to make him grunt. Morgan retrieved his hand just before he curled his toes, pointed his foot, and kicked. The Omega stopped there, however, as he merely wanted to see his mate writhing, not wake him up. He took notice of the television, of the channel and of what they were watching.  _ A cooking show _ . It seemed like a rather strange choice for a pup, and so he attributed it to the fact that Oliver had probably fallen asleep before Zach. Still, what he saw inspired him.

Morgan then left them there and took it upon himself to prepare dinner. He could handle it. And once everything was ready, he would wake them up. And hopefully, they would have a full house for their next outing.

For now, it was his chance to provide his  _ foodie _ of an Alpha a five-course meal sure to impress the whole family.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to come back, slowly but surely. Thank you all for being patient and for allowing me this reprieve! I should have tons of short stories to share soon enough!


End file.
